Actress Neve Campbell rocketed to fame in the mid 1990s as part of the teen drama series Party of Five. While it was more of an ensemble cast than a lead role, she quickly became a fan favorite. It led to a plethora of movie and TV roles, most notably as the heroine in Wes Craven’s seminal horror masterpiece, Scream. This gave her the opportunity to be the main star of a major film that would change the course of history.
Recently, it was reported that Neve Campbell will not be returning to the Scream franchise. Of the decision, Neve said,
"Sadly I won’t be making the next Scream film. As a woman, I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream. I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise. It’s been a very difficult decision to move on. To all my Scream fans, I love you. You’ve always been so incredibly supportive to me. I’m forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years."
Honoring her impressive talent, let’s look back at seven of Campbell’s other essential performances that turned her from a teen star, to a scream queen, and so much more.
Julia Salinger in Party of Five (1994-2000)
A young veteran of made-for-TV movies and the short-lived series Catwalk, it was Campbell’s turn as Julia Salinger in this FOX series that rocketed her to success and quickly made her and co-stars such as Matthew Fox and Jennifer Love Hewitt household names. Created to be a possible replacement for Beverly Hills 90210, the plot of a family torn apart by tragedy became more relatable to audiences than the woes of their California soap opera counterparts.
Campbell dominates as the third child of recently deceased parents, a wounded girl-next-door trying to take care of her fractured family while also finding her way through grief. She brilliantly handles the wide array of serious plots thrown her way: peer pressure, drugs, sex, domestic violence. Campbell holds her own with more seasoned actors in the cast, many of whom would go on to find fame in others roles as well.
Bonnie Harper in The Craft (1996)
Before there was Scream, there was this 1996 horror surprise. Though Campbell did not yet have the lead role, she was the most well known of the cast, and a large reason why The Craft became a sleeper hit, taking in four times its budget in ticket sales. While it is also aimed at the teen crowd, Campbell plays against type as Bonnie Harper.
For starters, she’s a witch. She starts out as the Campbell that we know, shy and kind, while also troubled by a dark past, before transforming magically (literally) into someone darker. The shy, lost girl is replaced by a brash young woman, whose newly found confidence not only causes her to dress more provocatively and chase boys, but leads her on a path of destruction, as she attacks her friend Sarah, the main protagonist of the film. Campbell’s stock in Hollywood rose here, as she got the chance to show off acting chops not seen before.
Suzie Toller in Wild Things (1998)
Julia Salinger and Sidney Prescott she is not. Directed by John McNaughton of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer notoriety, this erotic thriller finds Campbell cast as a criminal bad girl. There is no misdirection here. Campbell is front and center on this poster, alongside co-star Denise Richards, rising out of a pool, giving a seductive stare to the camera.
Campbell took this role to challenge herself and avoid being typecast. It works. While to some the film may be best remembered for its sex scenes (Campbell is involved in lengthy, steamy trysts with Richards and another with both Richards and co-star Matt Dillon), what really makes it stick are the twists. She is seemingly killed early in the movie by Dillon to cover up a scam, only to resurface at the end as the architect of everything, and kill Dillon. Once again, Campbell is the final girl, but in a way no one expected.
Sarah Cassidy in Panic (2000)
Campbell found widespread critical acclaim here, starring opposite Academy Award nominated actor William H. Macy. Macy plays a hitman going through a midlife crisis. While sitting in his therapist’s waiting room, he meets Campbell’s character, a much younger woman. She is observant, quick-witted, and has no issue calling out Macy’s advances on her. The only problem is that she likes him back, though she rejects him when she finds out he’s married.
Meanwhile, Macy has been ordered to kill his therapist, and keeps returning to Sarah repeatedly, until finally they have an affair. Just as with Wild Things, Campbell takes a challenging role here, pushing past her final girl expectations to be the other woman, but she’s more than a plot point or a one dimensional mistress. She captures the screen with her own character development and subplots, leaving Macy to be a supporting actor to her in many of their scenes together.
Loretta ‘Ry’ Ryan in The Company (2003)
As a former ballet dancer, even attending the National Ballet School in Canada, Campbell herself came up with the story for this love letter to her past career. Robert Altman, in his next to last film, directed this glimpse into the daily world of a ballet company. While there are a few linear storylines, most noticeably involving a love interest to Campbell played by James Franco, the focus here is not just a plot, but passion and dedication.
Real members of The Joffrey Ballet company in Chicago make up most of the cast, and even if Campbell is the centerpiece, the film is about them and the struggles that go into their performances. This is her taking a step back to show us where she comes from and how much that past life still means to her.
LeAnn Harvey in House of Cards (2016-2017)
Through the 2000s Campbell’s roles found mostly modest success. Then in 2015 she found renewed acclaim when she joined the third season of House of Cards. A political thriller about a politician’s rise to power at any cost, Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright combined to make one of the first streaming shows a huge success, forever transforming how we consume television. Campbell first appears in Season 4 as a beltway insider turned campaign adviser, and the perfect foil for Frank Underwood.
If she can face Ghostface four times and live to tell about it, then a murderous President is a piece of cake. In Season 5, the well-meaning adviser begins to turn bad, having spent so much time with the Underwoods that she learns to become just like them. It ends with her death, when at the end of the season Frank has her killed. There is no standing over the conquered villain as the final girl this time.
Laura Sobiech in Clouds (2020)
Released exclusively on Disney+, this musical drama stars Fin Argus in what could have been another sappy entry in the “teen dying of cancer falls in love” trope. Instead, it is pushed beyond stereotypes by the simple fact that it’s based on the true story of Zach Sobiech, a Minnesota teenager who wrote a song about his battle with cancer and turned it into a viral video shortly before his death. Campbell plays Zach’s mother.
We’re used to seeing her grieving as a child over a parent in Party of Five and Scream, but here, where the tables are turned, there is more than grief, but a celebration of life. Of course there are scenes of anger and immense sadness, but what really matters is mother and son laughing together, or of Campbell running down the street, shouting from joy, because her dying son’s song is playing on the radio. Campbell has the most difficult role a woman could play, not as the final girl or the bad girl or a dancer, but as a mom losing her child. She handles it brilliantly.